A conversation

Manu and his father were playing football in their backyard. They had moved in their new house just a few months back. Manu was the only child in the nuclear family. Manu's grandparents lived just a few blocks away. Manu loved to go there to play on holidays, for his grandmother had in her cupboard, lots of small sized soldiers and cars. Those would be his most cheerful moments. But off late he had turned more silent. He was only eight, but many people felt he was acting a bit dull.

“Papa, would I die some day?” Manu asked suddenly as he caught the ball in mid flight.

His father stood there in a moment of silence, half shocked and half amused. “Is that what has been bothering you son?”

He walked to Manu and knelt on his knees to look into his eyes, “Believe me, if you wish, you would never have to die.” He spoke as he caressed Manu’s cheek.

A smile broke on Manu’s face, “Why did Somu’s Grandpa have to die then?”

“Can we talk about this on the swing? What do you say! And a chocolate shake each? Hmm?” his father tried to cheer him up.

“Sounds cool?” Manu spoke as he ran inside the house.

“Wash you hands and shoes off the carpet.” His mother said as she followed him inside.

After a few minutes, Manu and his father were sitting on the swing sipping their drinks.

“Manu, how did you get this idea? I mean it is difficult to explain,” his father spoke after a few warm refreshing sips.

“Somu told me that his grandpa died last week. He was so old that he could not walk straight, and all his hair had fallen from his head and he always coughed a lot.” Manu said in one breath. His voice was almost trembling and feeble.

“You remember reading the story of the life of the butterfly the other day in your science book?” His father asked again trying to divert his attention to something Manu liked very much - butterflies.

“Yes! The butterflies live only eight days.” Manu said gloomily.

“I do not know how to tell you this but all of us will die one day. I mean all of us, me, your mum, your grandpa, grandma and your friends. But all of us won't die at once, but at different times and we don’t know when.” His father said this very slowly and Manu heard the words intently. He let the words sink in as they enjoyed their drinks.

"Papa, what happens when we die?" Manu was very serious indeed.

"Well, what do you think happens to the butterflies?" his father tried to infuse some thinking.

"I have seen the ants carry them away. Discovery showed the ants eat them." Manu said and shivered a little, "We would be eaten by ants too? I hate ants. They are so many and they bite" and Manu came closer to his father looking here and there for the ants on the floor. Butterflies were not helping.

"Come here boy," his father extended his arms and Manu hugged quickly. He was near to tears. He had taken this very badly.

“Don't be afraid of the ants," his father was caressing Manus hair and cheeks. I could tell you, but I don't know if you would understand." Manu's father was feeling more and more helpless for he was thinking hard to answer this.

"OK. We are very much like butterflies, only that we live many years," he started cautiously, "You know! I was small too, like you are now, many years ago, and then I grew up this big. You will also grow big, and tall and strong and never have to fear ants again.”  Manu seemed to like the fact of growing big and strong. He loosened the grip on his father’s arms.

"Yes Papa! I have seen your photos. Mum had shown me. She said I look like you when you were small."

“Really! Oh she did not tell me that. Did you like them?” his father said as Manu was giggling now.

“You were so small and grandma was holding you in her hands. And in one photo, you were crying in the bathtub,” and Manu had, for a very brief moment, overpowered by a bout of giggles. His father was relieved.

“But, what would I do alone?” Manu asked looking up at the sky which was now becoming funny shades of orange and deep blue. The sun had set and the night was creeping in.

“Why worry son? Why do you feel alone? Some one will always be there to play with you, to go to school with you, to teach you, to fight with you, to laugh with you, to catch frogs in the mud pond with you,” said his father and Manu gasped.

“Frogs! Do you promise not to tell Mum about this,” Manu came close to his father’s ear and spoke in a hushed up tone.

“YOU DID WHAT!” his father almost screamed in astonishment.

“Shhhhhhhhhh,” Manu said putting his finger on his mouth. “Come on papa, it is just a frog. And I have read in the science book it will only live about three years. At least I could have a frog, if not a dog!” Manu remembered last night’s argument over a dog or cat as his pet. He was allergic to hair and was advised to stay away from the furry friends but he was so attracted to them. They had somehow convinced him.

“OK! It does not mean that you make a frog a pet!” father said in a low tone. “They can be dirty you know, living in the mud and stuff.”

“I know papa. So, I built an outside house for it. But I will only show you if you promise not to tell mommy about it.” Manu said almost whispering now.

“I know Manu, I saw that slimy frog in your bag!” shouted his mother from the kitchen, “When is it going to be freed? It will die and raise a stink, I tell you.”

“OHHHH, when did she see that in my bag? I had put house in his home as soon as I came from school,” Manu said as he covered his face, clearly abashed, and flushed. His father chuckled.

“The secret is out, Hero! Now, where is the frog?” his father asked, ticking him a bit.

“I have made that frog, 'Slime ball' his name, a very good home like place in our garden. It has a swimming pool, a beach and a small hut to hide from sun.” Manu talked constantly about the frog and how there are salt water frogs and fresh water frogs and so on as both of them walked hand in hand towards the end of the garden. His father listened in amusement and was completely relieved now.

“Hmmmm. Nice place for a vacation. Where is you Slime-ball?” father asked as he looked down upon the frog house. There was nicely built pool of muddy water and a small frog was sitting on the rock.

“Slime ball loves his house, isn’t it? But he is going to die in three years.” Manu said with a sigh and both of them walked back in the house hand in hand.

“Hey buddy! Can I ask you one question?” his father said.

“Sure papa! But, nothing about that math result. I have told you that I tried. I just can’t add numbers every time correctly,” Manu was looking almost tearful.

“Well! I was not going to ask that,” father comforted him, as they sat on the couch. “See, you have to improve at everything you do. I think I have told you earlier also, that if you are not the best, in whatever you do, you will not be everyone’s favorite. It is the same at school, at work, at play and you know that already don’t you? And about today on the swing, whatever we talked, we will do it later, right! Mum will call for dinner anytime now.”

Manu nodded. There was a moment of silence and it clearly sowed that Manu was struggling to get something out of his mind. Finally he spoke in a hushed up tone, “You are right papa! Kunal is the math teacher’s pet as he gets more marks than anyone else. Nita gets praises from English teacher for she writes and speaks so well. But, I am the favorite of our science teacher. I answer all questions in the class.” Manu’s voice suddenly showed a sense of pride.

“That is cool son! And what is the length of the human tongue?” father asked as Manu looked shocked at the sudden change of subject.

“Papa! My tongue is smaller and yours is much bigger. That is why you finish your ice creams faster than me.” Manu said in despair but he was thinking hard and as father chuckled he answered coolly after a while, “Tongue is three inches long.”

“Why salt tastes different than sugar?” was the next question as they walked across to the dining room.

“I know this one; I read it in encyclopedia. We have a tongue with tiny holes in it to taste different things. Salt and sugar are tasted by different holes in our tongue.”

“My goodness, I will tell you the truth I did not know that until I was about ten. OK, how about this one - what is the difference between a toad and a frog?” father always put Manu to such simple educative and enjoyable tests every now and then and Manu knew that after this, he will get a cool prize. Last month he had got a cool children’s illustrated encyclopedia.

“I know this one too. The toad is larger. The skin is rougher. And toad moves slower than the frog. The frogs are cute, soft, slimy and smaller.” Manu said in a triumphant voice. It was clear that he had devoured the encyclopedia.

“Good. You see, you like animals, plants more than math, and I would say, if you would like to cover up on the marks lost in math, you need to be very good in some thing else. But, what about the math test?”

“I got ten out of twenty but that is because of two stupid mistakes” Manu said with his very innocent face turning gloomy. “Now I am fourth in the class rank, I wish I could be bit smarter”

“Did anyone ever say that you are not?”

“Yes. My math teacher tells me so. Wait, I will show you my test book.” Manu ran to his room and caused a little commotion as he crossed the kitchen as he nearly bumped into his mother, who gave a little shriek as she was holding the dinner plates to be brought outside to the table.

“Hey! Watch out kiddo. Nearly tripped me and dinner is ready” She said as she went to call his grandma for dinner.

Manu came back to the table with his test papers. His father promised to Manu that every day they would work ten minutes for math. The incentive was a cool prize if the next test result improves by one rank.

That night, Manu, and his parents took out the old albums from the attic and had a great time giggling, laughing at his dad’s baby photos and his mother’s too. He was very interested in his own baby photos. He was often asking ‘I was this small?’ or ‘Did I talk then’ or ‘Was I like Vicky?’ or ‘I had no teeth?’ Vicky was his two year old second cousin. His parents explained to him about why people die, and how babies grow older. He took it nicely. They promised to tell him more as he would grow up. Manu was a bit relaxed after all and his parents felt relieved too.

***